Are you a slave or are you free from sin?
The gospel is the good news that Yahweh sent Yeshua to redeem us from the curse of sin. By turning to Yahweh from our sins, we could receive forgiveness and begin to live lives pleasing to Yahweh–Bible Commentaries Peter Pett’s Commentary on the Bible Luke 3–Verse 8.
Why must we free ourselves from slavery to sin? How does slavery to righteousness appear and feel? The truth is that slavery to righteousness represents freedom: “true freedom”.
Would you like to find “true freedom”: slaves to righteousness via the Holy Spirit?
How does freedom versus serfdom look in modern times in our cities and work places?
Yeshua sets us free to live a free life: not under the control or power of another. We are able to act or do as we wish. So take your stand! Never again allow anyone to place trappings of slavery or servitude upon you states the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5.
It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]. (Gal. 5:1 Amplified Bible)
Under slavery to sin, Satan controls you. Under slavery to righteousness, the Holy Spirit of Yahweh sets you free.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit or with fire
Yeshua came to preach the gospel: the good news. In Luke 3:18 Luke notifies sinners of an impeding destruction. He begs them to repent before the axe falls in Luke 3:7-9. It reassures repentant sinners of forgiveness and eternal life in Luke 3:17.
...He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom); but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:16-17 AMP)
Luke writes the following:
So he began saying to the crowds who were coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath [of God that is] to come? 8 Therefore produce fruit that is worthy of [and consistent with your] repentance [that is, live changed lives, turn from sin and seek God and His righteousness]. And do not even begin to say to yourselves [as a defense], ‘We have Abraham for our father [and so our heritage assures us of salvation]’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children (descendants) for Abraham [for God can replace the unrepentant, regardless of their heritage, with those who are obedient]. 9 Even now the axe [of God’s judgment] is swinging toward the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:7-9 AMP)
Pursuing wisdom
King David said the following:
And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek and deeply long for Your precepts. (Psalm 119:45 AMP)
Out of my distress I called on the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me free. (Psalm 118:5 AMP)
Yahweh makes you holy and sets you apart–thus you attain eternal life.
But now since you have been set free from sin and have become [willing] slaves to God, you have your benefit, resulting in sanctification [being made holy and set apart for God’s purpose], and the outcome [of this] is eternal life. (Romans 6:22 AMP)
And although you were at one time estranged and alienated and hostile-minded [toward Him], participating in evil things, 22 yet Christ has now reconciled you [to God] in His physical body through death, in order to present you before the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach— 23 [and He will do this] if you continue in the faith, well-grounded and steadfast, and not shifting away from the [confident] hope [that is a result] of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which [gospel] I, Paul, was made a minister. (Colossians 1:21-23 AMP)
THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18.] For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], [Lev. 7:37.] So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]. (Romans 8:1-4 AMP)
The Holy Spirit grants us freedom from the fear of death. The Holy Spirit gives us access to the Kingdom and eternal life.